Irish Daily Mail

MICKELSON AND WOODS CAN TURN BACK TIME McIlroy is in a slump but he can rebound

- Derek Lawrenson

THINK back to just over a month ago, when time’s passing appeared ready to claim another victim with Phil Mickelson on the brink of falling outside the world’s top 50 for the first time since 1994. Tiger Woods was about to start another comeback where you wondered whether he’d last 18 holes, much less the tournament.

The idea then that the two great Masters of their generation, with seven green jackets between them, could somehow duel for another by the time we reached Augusta National in April, much like Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal at the Australian Open last year, would have been laughed out of the clubhouse.

Now it’s emerged as another great storyline possibilit­y as the pair brush up their Dorian Gray impression­s. Woods, seemingly rebuilt, is playing the next two weeks, looking to add to the momentum he establishe­d at the Honda Classic recently.

Then there’s Phil, who’s presently achieving things that are simply astonishin­g for a man who will turn 48 in June. Far from falling outside the top 50, he’s now back inside the top 20 after his emotional victory in the WGCMexico Championsh­ip on Sunday, following a play-off against fellow American Justin Thomas, who’s barely half his age.

Neither was it a one-off blast from the past. In his three previous starts, Mickelson had finished T5-T2-T6, making it the most consistent burst of form in his career. Afterwards, he sounded like a man who’d found the keys to the golfing universe.

‘I believe it is going to continue to get better,’ he said. ‘This validation of what I’m working on means a lot, but I don’t think it’s the apex or the peak, by any means.’

With a chance to rewrite the record books at the majors this year and the Ryder Cup, it’s hardly surprising the buoyant California­n is thinking in such terms.

At the Masters, he will try to become the oldest winner of the season’s first major, and in June he will attempt once more to complete the career Grand Slam at the US Open, an event where he has finished runner-up on no fewer than six occasions.

Why is he a contender again, at such an unlikely age? Off the tee, he has found 20 extra yards thanks to greater flexibilit­y, while on the greens he holed an amazing 123 out of 128 putts under 10ft last week. No wonder he’s confident of pushing the boundaries still further.

The year of Tiger and Phil? You certainly wouldn’t put it past either coming up with a highlight moment or two this summer that utterly transcends their chosen sport. FORMER PGA Tour pro Brandel Chamblee, chief analyst for the Golf Channel in America, appeared to be sticking the boot in last week when he said Rory McIlroy was further away than ever from rekindling past glories. The trouble is, the facts support his argument. The latest world rankings show Tommy Fleetwood achieving a new landmark by moving inside the top 10 for the first time, with McIlroy moving the other way, to 12th. You have to go back to the 2010 Masters to find the last time McIlroy (above) was ranked so low. Combine that with the fact that he’s enduring the longest winless run of his career, and no wonder Chamblee was so forthright. What’s more interestin­g, though, is how McIlroy responds. He often emerges squeaky clean when people start throwing mud at him. He’s playing at the Valspar Championsh­ip in Florida this week, the first of three consecutiv­e events before a one-week break leading to the Masters, and I’m looking forward to seeing something approachin­g the real Rory. One thing’s for sure, though. If he’s still 12th in the world after the Masters, there will be repercussi­ons.

 ?? AFP/GETTY ?? Joy: Mickelson wins in Mexico
AFP/GETTY Joy: Mickelson wins in Mexico
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